1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to improving deboned meat sources. These deboned meat sources are washed and filtered to remove undesirable attributes. More particularly, the invention relates to enhancing deboned meat while enhancing protein yield and minimizing protein waste. The washed deboned meat is suitable for use as a light-colored meat source for a variety of food products.
2. Description of Related Art
In meat processing plants, efforts are made to recover as much meat product as possible. One aspect of meat conservation in this regard is by practicing so-called deboning procedures. Deboning equipment is well-known in the art. Suitable equipment is available from Beehive, Inc. Illustrative of this technology are the processes and equipment that are shown in Beehive U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,060, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,667,435, and 5,813,909. Each of these patents is incorporated by reference hereinto. In essence, deboning equipment and processes operate on bones and slaughterhouse by product which is typically left after whole muscle cuts and cuts for ground meat are removed from animal carcasses during meat processing operations.
Deboning recovers edible flesh from sources which also include components that are generally considered inedible. These inedible types of components typically are relatively hard or tough and include bone, tendons, gristle and the like. In an overall sense, deboning equipment and processes separate the edible components from these typical inedible components. While deboning equipment and processes typically do an excellent job of this type of separation, the resulting edible components often are not suitable for use in many applications without further processing. While the edible product is substantially free of bones, it tends to include residue bone fragments, tendons and gristle and to be relatively high in fat and dark in color.
It has come to be appreciated that a so-called “surimi” process can be useful in washing protein sources with a view toward improving edible products. A conventional surimi process has traditionally been used in conjunction with fish products. Less common is the use of a surimi-like process in processing low quality meat sources. Examples in this regard include U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,975, incorporated by reference hereinto. This particular patent takes the approach of processing fish or meat by mixing particulate animal muscle tissue with an acidic aqueous solution in order to solubilize muscle proteins and then precipitating and recovering animal muscle proteins. This approach has the disadvantage of subjecting the meat protein to harsh acidic conditions.
Another surimi type of process is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,398, incorporated by reference hereinto. By this approach, fish or animal meat is combined with a short-chain alcohol and an alkaline substance, followed by grinding under vacuum. This approach adds substantial quantities of alcohols and other materials which can substantially change the character of the meat and/or require additional processing.
Approaches have been suggested for aqueous washing of deboned poultry meat. Examples, include Shahidi et al., “Effects of Aqueous Washings On Colour and Nutrient Quality of Mechanically Deboned Chicken Meat,” Meat Science, 32, pages 289-297, (1992), and Yang et al., “Changes in Myofibrillar Protein and Collagen Content of Mechanically Deboned Chicken Meat Due to Washing and Screening,” Poultry Science, 71, pages 1221-1227, (1992). Art of this type describe surimi-like aqueous washing being applied to mechanically deboned poultry meat. These publications, which are incorporated by reference hereinto, wash the deboned meat with a solution of 0.5 percent sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate. Screen sieving follows, and hemoprotien pigments and fat are removed, thereby upgrading the deboned poultry meat. With these types of processes, substantial quantities of protein are lost. Filtering proposals have been made, but these are not suitable for large-scale commercial meat processing operations. An example of the latter is the use of cheesecloth, which is not a suitable alternative in large scale operations where high flow through rates and economies of scale are essential.
Another approach which is suggested in smaller scale operations is noted in Froning, “Mechanically-Deboned Poultry Meat”, Food Technology, September 1976, pages 50-63, and Dawson et al., “Pilot-Plant Washing Procedure to Remove Fat and Color Components from Mechanically Deboned Chicken Meat,” Poultry Science, 68, pages 749-753, 1989, each incorporated by reference hereinto. References such as these discuss subjecting mechanically deboned poultry meat to centrifuge procedures in an effort to upgrade the meat salvaged by deboning operations. Yields of protein from the deboned sources are lower than desired for efficient commercial operations.
Publications such as these illustrate conventional methods of liquid-solid separation that report yields which suggest that substantial protein is lost during such processes. For example, the Dawson et al. article reports protein yield of the washed mechanically deboned chicken meat from its decanting centrifuge of 15.8 percent when compared to the unwashed mechanically deboned chicken meat. Yang et al., which discloses capturing protein on a single screen having 0.85 mm openings after washing, reports a yield of 23 percent of the unwashed mechanically deboned chicken meat. Kijowski, “More Useable Meat from Surimi Technology,” World Poultry, 11:37, 1995, reports a 35 percent yield from mechanically deboned poultry meat under unspecified optimal conditions. Shahidi et al. indicates a protein recovery of up to 56.5 percent from layers of cheesecloth, unlikely to be practically applicable to a continuous process on a large scale of the type needed for a successful commercial process.
Heretofore, deboned meat has not been subjected to surimi-type washing procedures which upgrade the deboned meat source without also experiencing substantial losses of protein present in that source. The result of the invention is high protein recovery of upgraded deboned meat. The upgrading subjects the deboned meat to washing in order to remove quantities of coloration and heme pigments that often will detract from possible uses of deboned meat in more premium meat products. In addition, a substantial proportion of fat is removed from the deboned meat in order to provide leaner sources of relatively inexpensive meat supplies. This is achieved while addressing an especially difficult problem for processing deboned meat. The processing must be efficient and available for continuous processing at advantageous flow rates without adding costs at a prohibitive level, keeping in mind there is little room for additional costs in processing such low level meat sources as deboned meat.